In news no one saw coming, Deadline has confirmed that a secret film starring Zendaya and John David Washington, titled Malcolm & Marie, was shot during the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdowns. Hollywood has been shut down since March, and even though some productions are now slowly starting to resume, this project is undeniably unique.
As the trade explains, it's believed that Malcolm & Marie is the first film to begin and finish production since lockdown started. Euphoria creator Sam Levinson served as writer and director, and cracked the script a week after he started writing it on March 16. Production began on June 17 and finished on July 2.
A synopsis hasn't been revealed (and neither has a release date), but it's said that it features, "some echoes of Netflix’s Marriage Story, while resonating a number of social themes that the world is experiencing right now."
As you might expect, a huge number of precautions were taken on the project starring the Spider-Man: Far From Home and Tenet actors, and it was shot legally on private property in Monterey County. Everyone entered a two-week quarantine before shooting started, and tests were taking on multiple occasions. Social distancing measures for the entire crew were also in place.
There's a lot major film studios could learn from Malcolm & Marie, especially if they hope to get next year's blockbusters in theaters on time after so many delays these past few months.
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